Our History, Vision & Mission

In 2016, Connections Place evolved from Moms Like Us, which was formed two years earlier in Victoria, BC by a group of passionate parents/caregivers of adult children living with mental illness. The majority of these parents had children who became ill in their late teens and early 20s. And they’re not alone—it’s estimated there’s a minimum of 80,000 people living with a mental illness in the Greater Victoria Area.

Moms Like Us embraced the Clubhouse Model when they discovered how effective it is at keeping people away from emergency services and being so cost effective.  Their number one goal was to prevent people from ‘falling through the gaps’—resulting in poverty, addiction, crime, and repeated hospitalizations.

Clubhouse International’s Progress

Since its start in 1948, Clubhouse International has learned through research, study, and experience that access to a caring community of support can make all the difference for a person isolated by his or her illness. Belonging in a caring community might be the single most effective and accessible means of preventing downward spirals.

Instead of isolation, hopelessness, and despair, people living with mental illness in and around Victoria are able to experience community, employment, hope, and a reason to wake up in the morning. This is exactly why Moms Like Us was formed—to bring not just hope but real and meaningful changes to the lives of loved ones.

Our Vision

Our community Clubhouse will be a vibrant, innovative, and collaborative space dedicated to creating opportunity and purpose for those with mental health challenges. The Clubhouse will be dedicated to nurturing respect, equality, and dignity for all.

Our Mission

The establishment of an accredited Clubhouse that will provide people whose lives have been disrupted by mental illness the opportunity to recover meaningful and productive lives through integration within society.